Hydraulic RV Jack Fail! Four Lessons Learned
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- We've never had a moment of trouble with our HWH hydraulic jacks in over 12 years in this, our second motorhome. But during our recent visit to Zion National Park, we caused our own jack failure!
Check out the video to see what went wrong, how we dealt with it, how we learned four lessons in the process. We actually knew about this issue, but being mostly snowbirds, we forgot about this potential cold-weather camping situation.
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Omg yet another great tip! Which is why we enjoy your channel so much. Thanks guys! Be safe
Thanks so much, Roger! :)
Genius I would have never thought of that
could anyone possibly explain to me how there is 2 dislikes? come on people. trolls take it elsewhere. this was classic geeks video, perfect.
Thanks Dave! We appreciate the support against our trolls! LOL
some people are offended by un-natural spring extension. I think it's ingenious.
i hit dislike button when I don't strongly don't like something. This I like and thumbs up
Haters are gonna hate. That's the only explanation I can come up with.
vegasdavetv !
The answer here would seem to be they ought to use double action cylinders instead of single action. And rather than have some cockamamie attachment use a regular cylinder with a big old pin through the rod, you have a lot less trouble pulling them up.
We agree. But to be fair, we’ve been using these jacks full-time for 17 years without any problem. We caused this one ourselves! 😂
Hey guys, Why didn't you use the jack that came with your Honda? I bet is would have been faster and easier.
Great question! We tried using the jack, but it actually wasn't as easy as dumping the air bags, mostly because of the limited space down under the rig between drive & tag axle tires and how far in the jacks are from the edge. It doesn't look too bad in the video because we shot it so close up in super wide angle, but it's tight down there! In retrospect, we should have included that in the video, because it's definitely a viable option... and of course for anyone without air bags, it's the only option.
Thanks!
Now this was a cool tip........... Fantastic!!!!! Painters stir sticks, never would have thought!!!!
Thanks Tim! Nothing better than free tools/supplies (Lowes wouldn't accept any payment for them, even though we weren't buying paint). :)
Sir. I am a newbee to motorhoming and this is the very best hydraulic jack fix-em-up I have seen. I am also a retired Broadcast engineer, so I found your voice over narrative very professional. You just raised the bar for U TUBE A/V productions. Thanks.
Thank you so very much! You just made our evening! 😊
Well you've just increased my knowledge about an R/V adventure.
You've restored by faith in humanity.
Even the RV Geeks can have one of those "Doh!" moments.
We must have been inspired by Jason Wynn's "How Not To" moments! LOL
Thank's for sharedi,
This is a awesome video, thanks for sharing
I would have probably made the same mistake. Learning through "experience" certainly has a longer lasting impact though :) Stir sticks? Who knew. Great tips!
And those sticks were free, too! :) We felt bad asking for them at Lowes, since we weren't buying paint, and offered to pay for them. But the guy said "They're free" so away we went. And you're sure right about "learning through experience" as I won't soon forget that sound that jack foot made when it shot up into the bottom of the RV... like a cannon! You can see in the video the mark and chipped paint just off-center of the mounting hole where it hit the hydraulic cylinder. Good thing that the steel is pretty much impervious. The costly mistakes hurt even more ;-)
Excellent video once again. Thanks guys.
been there, was able to use a hydraulic jack to compress the ram. Good tip on the spring wish I'd had that info.
Using a hydraulic jack (or a car jack) is a great idea for those who don't have air suspension (gas rigs). We'll have to keep that idea in mind. Thanks!
RVgeeks You should have a jack rated for your rigs weight as you never know when it's needed! It doesn't take up that much room in the tool tray.
Wow, there's something that I never considered happening. It's great that you two showed us how to handle the problem. As always thanks and "Keep on keepin on."
Thanks Charlie. This was one of those things that was in the back of our minds that we just don't generally think about, since we usually do our best to avoid RVing in sub-freezing temps. We'll sure remember it next time!
Great video guys. I guess if you have a gas rig without air bags, you would have to find an alternative way to compress the cylinder. I was thinking perhaps using the jack in the toad, or in the RV if it had one. Anyway, thanks for the lesson!
Absolutely, David... we think someone else mentioned that same suggestion of using your car jack to push the cylinder back in. Brilliant... and doesn't require any special tools you don't (usually) have handy!
A GOOD reason to have a separate bottle jack and 2X4 planks on-board. The usual toad auto jack is usable ONLY on that model auto!
+1 for Neil's bottle jack suggestion. Cheap, small, powerful.
You could always use a car jack to compress the hydraulic cylinder, if you don't have air ride suspension. I don't mean aa scissor jack" although that might work. I mean a small 2 ton hydraulic jack you pick up at any auto parts store, Harbor Freight or Northern Tools.
Your pads froze to the ground, and when you picked them up, they stuck, causing a spring detachment! Now, I'll watch the video! Great job on your vid's! Thanks,
I backed up to a railroad tie in a campground and when I lowed the HWI Jacks the foot only half on the tie. As the cylinder kept lowering the jack foot rotated and came off the cylinder producing the same problem you had . Always check area befor lower jacks.
wood chips are the easy way to do it, but only need to do one spring. use a hydrualic jack after you get the first spring and foot on to lever foot up so easy install of side 2 spring with wood chips. Should be using some sort of pad under a spring loaded foot pad. wood, plastic, something... you can use the metal step stool that most folks carry and your 3 foot lug nut breaker bar to leverage up the jack, just have the wife make sure the store button stays on.
I alway carry a 2by4 with Me. Use my 2by and a chock block does the trick every time. Have had retraction problems for as long as i have had the coac 10 years.
You could have used your car jack and blocks needed. I just have the jacks in the lift position so no need to change valve as it is already in the return position. Just jack and done. Good video however.
You could grease/lard your pads. You could use a hydraulic jack to life your cylinders or re-kneel your rig and have a block underneath to push them back up.
Yeah, absolutely no one is immune to accidents and embarrassment, and awkward moments like you 2 ended up in. I honestly do believe that - like I just said -that absolutely no one is immune to accidents and embarrassment, and awkward moments, whether one is willing to accept their actions and mistakes as their own, and step up and show that they understand that they are human and that they make mistakes. I accept that idea, I accept the fact that I am human and can make mistakes, and make errors.
My jack leaking one side and I jack Dow with no fluid now don’t back I level up with fluid
Great job. I consider myself pretty good, But would never have thought of the paint sticks!!Great video.
Great tips as always!!
Fascinating!! Thanks for posting this with great video and detailed explanation!!
How I prevent this is to use cendar blocks in the ground.
Love your vids/channel: we just got back from Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Nat'l park: our trailer tire equalizer blocks (Lynx Levelers) got frozen deep into the mud: thankfully, the Lynx system has open spaces within the square blocks: i brought ice melt, and after spreading the ice melt into the spaces within the blocks, poured hot water onto the ice melt: within 1-2 mins, i was able to pry out the blocks. In the future, i will put a layer of ice melt on the ground BEFORE laying the leveling blocks...RnMT
Great to hear that you were able to extricate yourself and your levelers! We only use pads for very un-level sites, or soft ground. Now we'll be adding a 3rd reason to use them: potential freezing ground.
Excellent Job Good advice. Thank you.
Totally good info for us all in cold weather. Love the demonstration with paint sticks. Any of us could just get these sticks anywhere and bring along with our other tools. Don't way anything.
Very true, Anna! We're going to add a handful of them to our toolbox. You know... just in case! ;)
I don't like having my jacks in dirt even if the dirt is warm and dry. A couple of years ago I went to a lumber store and had a 2" thick, 12" wide, 12' length of lumber cut into 1 foot square sections. Then added anti slip tape to one side.
Whenever I'm parked on dirt I use these squares under my jacks. If the wood is buried more than1/2" in dirt I find a more stable area to park. I have the plastic RV leveling blocks but I find the 2" thick wood pads work just as well maybe better.
As usual great video guys.
Thanks Jack!
Pete, recall the springs on Moms garage door???? Whatta memory!!!! Took an eight foot cheater bar to install, and they were outlawed in the 1980s as they killed folks!!!! Seem to think you would have shot that base plate with Rustoleum flat black when it was off. Anudder day!! Thank you!!
I had to use two monkey wrenches to help my Dad adjust our garage doors when I was a kid. I'll bet we would indeed have been killed it one had let loose! We did indeed think about painting the base plate while it was off.... for about a second. John gave me a dirty look when I even mentioned it (did you notice his winter coat in the spring-installation section of the video?). He REALLY hates the cold! LOL And it was probably too cold for spray paint anyway, so yes, another day!
Guys, excellent video, although just one thought... have you considered rather than using the parking pads or feet and lowering the jack onto them, you might be able to use a scissors hydraulic jack about 2 tons to raise the parking jack and then hang the expanded springs. You can purchase a scissors jack pretty cheaply at Harbor Freight or Pep Boys and they're small enough to stash in a compartment and could be used for a variety of purposes. They come with an extended crank arm.
Hi Rick! Thanks for the great comment. You are absolutely right! We actually have a scissor jack in our Honda (the one that came with it). But we had already retracted the disabled jack cylinder by dumping the air bags when we realized that the jack would have been a perfectly viable option too. And of course that technique would be THE choice for a gas RV (no air suspension), so looks like we might need a follow-up video. ;-)
Nice job, and great presentation, another way would be to have 1/2 Plywood Pieces to put under the jacks in the cold weather! thanks, Rick/Arizona
Yup! We've added "freezing temperatures" to "soft ground" and "very un-level site" as the third reason to use jack pads. :)
Ready for another Trucker tip?
Next time it freezes like this start the Jack's up then stop and inspect to see if one is frozen. If so use the ball pean hammer you should have in the tool box and hit it sideways and it will break free.
Also good if you didn't dry your brakes after a drive in rain or snow in freezing weather and you park. Tap the pads to release a frozen brake pad.
After a few frozen brakes I learned to dry them just like it's recommended in many drivers handbooks for when you drive through a puddle in the roadway. Apply brakes with a little gas. When you are about to pull into your spot put some break pressure while applying gas to the engine to heat them up which will dry them out.
Some drivers will argue you'll wear them out but unless you stand on them and drive like a fool you'll not do any wearing out of the system just heat the water up so it everoprates. Park with no fear of freezing the brakes.
I have more to pass on but I won't hijack your channel! ;)
Blue Sky's and Safe Journeys!
Thanks for the great additional tips! We do indeed have a ball-peen hammer in our tool kit, so we'll be ready. :)
I have HWH hydraulic jacks also. The problem I encountered was that the while my motorhome was in storage at home, one of the springs broke, while being fully extended on the ground. Afterwards, the 2nd spring broke on the same jack. I was unable to push the jack up into place since the springs were broken and I was unable to drive the motorhome. I went and purchased a low clearance hydraulic jack so I could retract the jack on my motorhome. I put the jack I purchased underneath the foot and raised the jack at the same time I automatically retracted the jack on the motorhome. I then ordered new springs to replace the broken ones. HWH informed me that they could not believe the springs broke on their own, but they did break. I also ordered a spare set of springs and carry them with me in case this occurs again. I also carry the hydraulic jack I purchased.
Wow, Gary! Never heard of the springs just breaking... but we have now. Sounds like you did a great job of self-extrication.
Nice video..... I have reinstalled jack feet twice with a pry bar and A LOT of choice words.... won't be doing that again now.
Yup.... no fun.
If you were parked on dirt, why weren't you using you utility blocks under the jacks? I was told I should use them on every surface except asphalt or concrete.
+Roy Davis Great question Roy! It's very common to park on very hard-packed dirt surfaces in established campsites. It those situations, there's no reason to use blocks/pads under the jacks unless the site is so off-level that you can't get level before the jacks reach their maximum limit. That was the situation in Zion... very hard-packed well-used, level surface. These types of surfaces are so common in places we typically RV (the ground in many parts of the Desert SW is both very hard-packed and very level, even when not in an established campsite) that we don't need our Utility Blocks all that often, even when boondocking. Obviously the freezing ground issue added another element to our Zion stay! 😉
Great video, I’m having a problem with our jacks, after retracting the jacks the lights say jacks down and won’t stop beeping. Each time I look and all jacks are up.🤔 it’s driving me crazy 😜 if
you have any ideas I would sure appreciate any suggestions. Thanks for all the great video’s.
Sorry to hear you're having trouble. Two of the most common jack types are 1) Those that retract by use of large springs (like ours, shown in this video) and 2) Those that both extend and retract hydraulically. If you have springs like ours, the most likely problem is the springs are stretched out and need to be replaced. If you have hydraulically-retracting jacks, the fluid may be low, or some other mechanical issue. Our guess is that if you look at your jacks when they're retracted, they probably aren't quite all the way in, which is what's leading to the warning. If they are actually completely retracted and you're still getting a warning, it may be a problem with the sensor, leading it to THINK the jacks are still extended when they're not. If you have HWH jacks (like we do), the owners manual should have a troubleshooting section that includes info about what to try.
RVgeeks Thank you so much for the reply, we do have the HWH jacks like you have. I will check all of the jacks when we get ready to leave, it very well could be stretched
springs, after all the coach is a sweet 18 years old. I think we actually still have the owners manual, we just have to find it. If it is bad springs it looks like a easy fix that I can do, thanks to your video. I will let know if the springs was the problem. Safe travels.
When I lived in Alaska, and parked an airplane on skis on fresh snow for any period of time, I always did so on plastic trash bags. Nothing sticks to them...I think this would help in this situation, too...
+Valeriya Quinn Great tip! Thanks for sharing. 😊
Yes that's why I use plywood under the jacks
Cool. You guys are ingenious .
Like they say... necessity is the mother of invention! We had no CHOICE but to be ingenious (and, to be fair, a lot of the credit for this technique goes to the people who described it on iRV2.com). When in doubt... GOOGLE IT! ;)
The jack did not fail. In fact, I don't see a failure here at all... easy fix. Why would you not put blocks under the jack anyway?
Despite the fact that it was basically self-induced, the jacks failed to stay together. And it was hardly an easy fix. Still required a lot of muscles to manage, and many RVers wouldn't be able to do it, or want to risk getting hurt when trying to bend those heavy springs. Blocks are generally only needed for two purposes: 1) The site is too off-level for the jack travel to accommodate, and 2) When the ground is soft and more surface area is needed to prevent the jacks from sinking in. This was a perfectly level hard-surface campsite. No blocks needed.
Great Video, I hope to see this park in my future and will remember your problem/tip!!!!
Hope you get there, too! It's a great place!
Would the jack from your tow vehicle fit under the leveling jack? Probably easier to come by than a 2x4.
Hi Martin! The scissor jack from our Honda would have done the job, too. But we'd already used the air dump method when we thought of it! LOL Thanks for mentioning another good alternative.
How’s about placing a piece of wood or something between the foot and the ground at all times I case of weather like that? Saving yourself problems like this every time
This only happened to us once in over 15 years of full-timing. If sub-freezing weather is possible, we’ll do that now. The other 99% of the time that us snowbirds spend in mild weather, it’s not needed.
Learned on our first trip to put boards under the jack pads. We were camping in the spring and the jack went 6" into the soft ground and would not retract. Had to dig out the jack and use a lever to compress it. Had the jack replaced after this. I now put boards under the jacks unless we are on concrete or hard gravel site.
The campsite was almost perfectly level with very hard-packed soil, so no sinking or leveling issues at all. We only put pads down when the site is very unlevel, or soft. Now we'll add "frozen" to that list.... or stay south! LOL
Nice, we kind of had the same thing this winter. But ours stayed all together as it rose, then snap, the pad pulled from the ground bringing snow, ice and gravel with it. Haha, great tip.
Ours sounded like a cannon shot!
Glad you got it fixed safely. It looked like there were opportunities for pinched fingers and flying sticks!
+Lance Harris Thanks Lance! We were very cognizant of the danger to John's fingers, so very careful indeed!
You guys are so clever.... what a wonderful cheap solution to what could be a nightmare.
Thanks Paul. We felt like Macgyver out there! LOL
I wouldn't have thought of that, thank you.
I watch you guys do this all the time I have hydraulic on my trailer I made wooden blocks to spread the weight on the ground or pavement
Hi John. Good idea... and we use blocks to distribute the weight when on soft soil, too. In this case, it wasn't so much that the soil was soft (it was actually very had-packed and sandy), it was the fact that it was wet... and because the temperature dropped dramatically overnight (AND we were leaving very early the next morning), the jack landing pads were frozen to the ground. First time anything like this has ever happened to us in 16+ years of being full-time on the road, though! 😉
This shows work smarter not harder is real and safer.
dont feel bad .. did the same thing 2 years ago . set in the cold for a week then tryed to drive off with out looking . yeah they did not come off the ground lintel i starting to move the RV
Yikes! They were REALLY frozen to the ground! Hope they didn't get damaged!
Did you consider using the spare tire scissors jack from your toad car to raise/ retract the hydraulic cylinder? Great explanations and video work. Thank you.
Nevermind, I see it was asked and answered.
+micglobal Glad you got it! 😊
I am wondering if you could have used a bottle jack to retract the hydraulic cylinder.
You are absolutely right, George! We actually have a scissor jack in our Honda (the one that came with it). But we had already retracted the disabled jack cylinder by dumping the air bags when we realized that that jack, or a bottle jack, would have been a perfectly viable option too. And of course that technique would be THE choice for a gas RV (no air suspension), so looks like we might need a follow-up video. ;-)
Uhh... What would MacGyver do here? Toothpicks!!!! Ingenious!!👏👏👏 Well played... Probably not a bad Tim to hit the bottom of the hydraulic cylinder with a little blob of some type of lubricant if available.
Later guys...Terry
oops Tim=time
Thanks! After we saw the jacks up close and personal, we wanted to hit them with a sandblaster and some Rustoleum, but it will have to wait for another time. :)
Bless you, I just bought an RV I went to put the jacks down and the right front didn't have the plate on it and went into the ground. I sure want to thank you for showing me how to put the springs on. Thanks again your were a blessing.
Once retracted, will the piston extend from road vibrations ?
Not on our HWH system. We drove from Utah to northern Washington state with no springs in place, and it didn’t move at all.
@RVgeeks so once retracted the springs are not essential to keeping piston out of harms way ? I ask as often when I cross railroad tracks the dash alarm goes off indicating jacks lowering, I stop and hammer jack piston a bit and alarm goes off !
@@VideoByPatrick Not sure if our pistons might have begun to lower a bit after an extended period without the springs, but with them in place as usual, we have seen a very occasional behavior similar to what you’re describing. The good news is that the alarm letting you know that the jacks aren’t fully retracted goes off very quickly with only a small amount of the piston showing. That allows an opportunity to pull over and inspect the situation. The few times we’ve had that happen, we simply stop the rig, push the store button on the jacks again, and they fully retract. We’ve never had them come down any more than an inch or so, which is not enough to cause a problem. But it is enough to make the light come on, and that makes us uncomfortable continuing without inspecting the situation.
@RVgeeks my '05 rv 26 footer dynaquest has an intermittent ground issue at the hwh hydraulic solenoid panel near driver side rear tires; at this time the ground fault disables my inside house hwh leveling control panel and the store button doesn't work or even turn on. Once the inside control turned on the store button killed the siren. Most of the time the hammering resolves the issue. Currently only the dash red warning light works as I disconnected the siren ground wire. Soon I need rear axle bearing work as well as bad abs melted sensors on rear as rear calipers froze and ate rotors due tp sticking caliper 66mm pistons ! I'll get that fixed with upgraded 73mm caliper pistons (stock is 66mm) but will as well ask shop how much to remove all 4 levelers, as too dangerous trusting those springs.
Have you ever used SnapPads on your jacks? If not, could you explain why? This might have saved you from this situation as the SnapPad would have frozen to the ground and the jack would have pulled out of it (at least in theory). Thank you.
Great question, Wil! We looked into SnapPads, and there's only one reason that we don't have them - the size and shape of our jacks' feet/landing gear is unusual enough that they don't offer one that will fit. We have friends who have them, and love them, so if we could use them, we would!
@@RVgeeks that makes perfect sense. I now see that you jack feet are different. Thank you both for the marvelous resource you have accumulated here. Safe travels.
I think it's awesome that you haven't had any of the ubiquitous HWH issues on your coach. I haven't been so lucky on my 2005 model. Quick question...couldn't you have just hit the store button on the pad instead of manually opening the solenoid? Great vid as always, guys.
Thanks Southbound (which is where we should have been!) ;-) In the step where we used the weight of the RV to compress the disabled jack, we had no choice except to open the solenoid because of the way we did it. If we'd used a 2x4, or a scissor or bottle (pin) jack, to compress the extended jack cylinder (instead of using the weight of the RV) we absolutely could have just pushed the store button to allow the fluid to go back into the reservoir. But because we had to push the "dump" button to drop the RV, that button keeps the solenoid closed, preventing the cylinders from retracting, even under the weight of the RV. The "dump" and "store" buttons are basically mutually exclusive. Hope I understood your question correctly and answered it clearly. :)
RVgeeks great points, and you understood my question perfectly. I completely missed the significance of your need to use the dump function, and I didn't realize the mutual exclusivity. Learn something every day.
guy,s, Could use your expertise. I have bought a older camper which the old couple who have previously owned appear to have applied a lot of wax. I have had it three years now and have got it looking quite a bit better but there is still spots were the wax is still smeared on.What can I use to strip off the wax and not hurt the fibreglass/clear coat. I value you opinions as UA-cam can be a double edged sword when you look for how to videos .
Keep up the great videos. Always look forward when you post anew one.
Wax and Grease Remover only available at automotive paint stores. It is pricey though.
That's a tough one, Tom. We've never had that problem to deal with, so we don't have any first-hand experience to draw on for advice. If it was us, we'd try using a clay bar, to see if it would lift off any excess wax. But we'd bet that it wouldn't have much effect. If you can find some, you might want to try Zymöl HD-Cleanse... it's a pre-wax finish cleaner that always worked well for us in the past. Might do the trick. Or, if you can't find that anywhere, you could try something like Meguiar's SwirlX ( amzn.to/2lgp5ai ). Might be strong enough to remove the excess wax, but it should be gentle enough not to damage the gelcoat/clear coat.
Sorry we can't be of more help... but if you find something that works, let us know!
Jack was frozen in the ground. That's my guess.
No guess needed, Luke. Jack frozen to the ground was the exact problem we showed.... and fixed!
Great video guys. Very novel idea using the paint stir sticks.
Thanks Gene! They were free even. :)
I did the exact same thing in ND on my way back to Saskatchewan Canada.
I used the car jack in the toad to compress the hydraulic cylinder.
Bin there done that and it is no fun with 6 inches of snow everywhere
Afterward, we realized that we could also have used the scissor jack in our toad. Of course for anyone with a gas rig (no air bags), that would be the best option. Looks like we'll need a follow-up video :)
Thanks for the reply
You could probably get a spring cage to fit so you can remove and reinstall the springs without using any wood shims
Oh thank you X10.... I have the exact same problem with the left rear HWH hydraulic jack on my Kountry Star.. and was wondering how the heck I was going to reseat the pad.. Thanks to this video? I now have the answer....
Brigitte
Great information thank you.
Fantastically simple and economical. Thanks you for making this video. I hope I never have to use this information . :)
Glad I'll know what to do when something like that happens to my parents Newmar. Thanks guys.
Tell them to stay where it's warm! LOL
Dad hates the cold, that's why the parents are hanging out in AZ until spring.
Could you have used one of the other Jacks to put the sticks in?
Are you asking if we could attach the springs to one of the other jacks and use it to expand the coils instead of flexing the spring? We don't think it would be possible to put the loose springs on one of the other jacks with their own springs in place already, as they would be in the way.
You did give us an idea though. What if we were to hang the springs from their hooks without adding in any wood blocks. They of course would be too short to reach the lower hooks, but what if we then used a couple of strong stainless steel quick links (this type of thing: amzn.to/2lsBbQh ) to make up for the lack of length. Then we could extend the jack, thereby spreading the coils, like we showed in step #4 in the video, and insert the wood spacers. Then retract the jacks as far as they'll go on their own, then use a 2x4 to lever them in the rest of the way (since the springs are now too long to retract them fully). Then remove the springs, remove the quick links, re-install the springs, extend the jacks and remove the loose wood spacers. There's more than one way to skin a cat! :)
You would have to do 4 Springs at one time. As you outlined . Setting them up with wood spacers. Then reinstalling all 4.
Hey! Something I can afford! Lol I have the round plate-like feet on my Power Gear jacks and one of them is all "jacked" up (get it?) . Always wanted to know how to get it off and hammer it flat again. Thanks guys!
Thanks! That's such a clever way to fix a problem. I hope I never need it, but if I do I know where to look for a refresher. You guys are great!
Thanks Miles! We hope we never need it again either!
I'm curious about how many of the sticks you used.
For the two springs, we used a total of four large and eight small sticks, which is every single one we picked up at Lowe's!
I am surprised you didn't use your blocks to keep the jacks feet from sinking into the soil.
This was a very level, hard-packed surface, so no blocks were needed. The jack feet pressed firmly into the dirt, but did not sink at all. But it was damp enough that they formed into the surface of the soil quite nicely! LOL Our rear jack feet are so large (about 1 foot square) that we typically only use blocks when the site is so un-level that the hydraulic cylinders can't extend enough to get us level.
I have a 2004 MADP with large feet too. I just ordered 4 Hosspads (motorcoach size) for just such a situation. Thanks for the tip. Also love the leveling blocks in your video. Thank you for that tip as well.
yea my Wife said no to a motorhome bigger than a Class B - she's steering us towards a Travel Trailer.
Hope we're not helping to push you down into a pop-up! :-P
RVgeeks no pop ups for me - Sylvan Sport Go maybe or a Mini Winnie
thanks.
Excellent !!!
Great video, only thing I may have tried, is to find some type of cheater bar for the top of the spring? Thanks for the tip.
Well done!
Awesome guys! Gonna remember that trick!
It's one we're not likely to forget anytime soon, either! ;)
Yeah, we had an instance once where the jack panel just died. And with jacks down, we weren't going anywhere. Thankfully discovered those t valves. Cranked 'em open and voila...jacks up. Turns out it was a loose connection in the panel. After talking with HWH (whose customer service is amazing) we narrowed it down to a wire that was loose/corroded.
0:35 Mud suck! That's my guess. Going back to watch the whole video now. :)
Jon
Very interesting problem and solution!
The primary lesson for us was adding a third occasion to use jack pads (adding "freezing conditions" to "very off-level" and "soft ground." Of course the REAL lesson for us is be true to our Snowbird selves and steer clear of freezing temps year-round. ;-)
So, where would the hydraulic leveler panel be?
Our control panel is at the driver’s seat, behind the transmission controls on the driver’s left side. That’s a very common place for it.
cool . learning how to do it yourself with no physical help . helps you the next time your in a jam.
VERY ingenious and well executed !
Thanks Jay! :)
Another fantastic video. Mike and Lisa are dry camping with us out at the Kofa Wildlife area (just south of Quartzsite). Mike and I watched this video together and both said "BOOM!" when watching the early part of the video. I can imagine that was a disturbing sound. As always, great video, great editing, VERY informative.
Thanks David! When we said that the foot released from the ground like a slingshot, we did not mention that it sounded like a cannon shot! You are right on with the BOOM! Startled the crap out of me! LOL If you look closely at the video, you can see the mark and chipped paint on the top of the foot, just off-center, where it hit the cylinder. Luckily, the steel is pretty impervious, so no harm done. Have a great time in Kofa!
Great video with a good tip if I am truthful I don't think I would have thought of that thanks keep up the good work
Every problem is an opportunity to learn. I smiled when you pulled out the paint sticks. Over the years I have kept a supply of them. I have found so many uses for them Every time I buy paint I get an extra stick, and I never discard a paint stick. Oh, and let me not forget popsicle sticks. They come in handy as well. Can't say often enough, necessity is the mother of invention.
You guys can figure out anything, you're methodical in your approach to everything. I feel any problem can be surmounted by investing enough brain power. You guys have mountains of brain power.Drive safely and enjoy.
Thanks so much Vincent. It sounds like you've got a great brain going there, too! Having limited space as a full-timer, I'm always extra happy to realize that I have some obscure little part on board that I can Macgyver into a solution and head off a crisis! Especially when it's something that should surely be useless that I didn't even know why I was keeping around. ;-)
What kind of fluid do you use ATF or hydraulic fluid. Power gear system.
We use original HWH hydraulic fluid:
amzn.to/3byw7SV
It's clear (no dyes) so if it leaks, it doesn't stain concrete, etc.
@@RVgeeks oh ok thanks. As I was told maybe use ATF. Needed to confirm this.
@Glen Soloway - if you have HWH jacks like ours, they recommend using their fluid. If it's not an emergency, and you can wait to order & receive it, that's what we'd recommend. But, in the HWH manual, they say you can use "Dexron automatic transmission fluid" in an emergency... but, since it has dyes, can cause staining. More of an issue if you also have HWH hydraulic slides... since the fluid is used for both the slide and jack mechanisms.
If you've got a different brand of jacks, be sure to check with them for what fluid they recommend,. Could be different.
Happened to me today. Mud pulled the pad / spring from the piston. The piston was almost fully extended. Just kept repeating the process and putting in more wood/pads and eventually had the piston far enough up to drive. Not sure yet how to the pad and springs back on there, but today this video saved my bacon!! Thanks so much for publishing. Been an RV'er for 35 years with 7 different motorhomes and today this was a first.
Sorry to hear this happened, but thanks for letting us know we were helpful. Always great to hear! Safe Travels.
Wait,a dab of grease to the foot so it sort of rotates easy
Hi Craig! It doesn't actually rotate, but stays put in one place, and the grease just attracts dirt.
My wifes name and pic. Mark here. I have a 2000 Western RV Alpine 36 FDS LE. I remembered seeing this video before thank goodness as today when stowing the jacks I heard a noise, it was the front driver's side jack, one spring broke at the top mount at the springs Hook and the jack stayed down 6 to 8 inches. . I followed your method of opening the solenoid bleed off valve's but it wasn't working, the jack wouldn't budge.. After stressing a bit I tried one more thing. On the HWH controller I hit the store button and bingo the RV dropped. I just kept repeatability raising the RV with the air bags then fit another pad like you use under the Jack and hit the stow button each time shoving the Jack back up until I was ready to go. Thanks again you great Geeks!
It’s always great to hear we’ve been helpful, Mark, so thanks very much for letting us know. 😊
Thanks for sharing your experience in another how-to video. I have to admit that I stopped watching your channel during your Australia trip as it was not a topic of interest for me. Now that you're back to North American camping and relevant RV topics I'm back on board.
We knew that Oz wasn't a topic for everyone, but thanks for coming back, Ron! :)
thanks...rv geeks...brilliant solution. .2 thumbs up
This an amazing video, as I am going to replace a broken spring here in a few days the video was very helpful. Thank you.
Excellent video!!! Thanks for the share.
Wow thx or sharing
Thanks for watching, Georgeana! :)
What a crazy creative solution!! We don't have these style jacks (we have a 2-year old 5th wheel with no springs) but I just love the ingenuity!
Thanks Crystal! We had a long day's drive in front of us the day we left Zion, so we were very relieved to get that jack retracted so we could roll! Everything after that was a little easier, since we had time to plan a bit for the repair.
Great Video. I wonder if this could have been avoided by placing a block between the Jack foot and the wet ground? Alos maybe it's just the perspective bot that Jack foot looks terribly close to the inside tire..
Thanks Wes! A block under the jack would indeed have worked, so we've added "freezing temperatures" to "soft ground" and "very un-level site" as the third reason to use jack pads. The jacks are pretty close to the tires... but not that close. They've worked fine for the past 12 years. :)